The Poor?

I have a confession to make.

I’ve been missing something . . .

There has been a hole in my theology.  I feel foolish, a bit like a naïve schoolgirl, although that is perhaps too nice a picture—maybe I’ve been more like the fat lady of the house who simply gave no regard to the matter.  Then again, there is that in me that has felt like the ignorant French princess who when learning the peasants had no bread, said, “Let them eat cake.” 

In truth, I’ve just never thought too much about it! 

In truth, I feel ashamed.

My thinking was prompted by 1 Corinthians 16.1-4-- “Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.  On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.  Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.  If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.”  

When Paul speaks of the gift to Jerusalem, he is talking about the Corinthian church taking a collection, and sending it to the Jewish Christian church in Jerusalem.  They were suffering from intense persecution, and were in many cases, denied access to work, income, and yes, food.  Paul is saying, ‘Take care of your fellow Christians over there,’ and in doing so, he is building a sense of larger community among fellow believers in other places. 

Feed the poor.  While in this instance, Paul is talking about taking care of fellow believers, throughout Scripture, in both Old Testament and New—God made it clear that we are to feed the poor.  It is in the Torah.  It is in the Prophets, the Psalms, and the Gospels.  Consider these thoughts,  “The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor;                                                                     the wicked does not understand such concern.”1  “But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?”2   “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil,  and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.”3

I’ve been rethinking a few things—which in itself is quite a luxury.  To ‘think’ first of all is a miraculous endeavor of the intricate brain within, but to rethink is quite a marvelous venture as well—to consider whether our thinking, values, and judgments are ‘on point’ or ought to be reshaped as we grow.  Hmmm . . .

That is the direction of my rethinking today: Why wasn’t I brought up with compassion toward ‘the poor’?  I guess because my parents had been, and in fact, were ‘the poor’ for most of their lives, they were not only trying to make their own way and provide for us kids, but in some way also trying to distance themselves from all that goes with ‘the poor’.  I do not remember church instruction or biblical teaching that ever got my attention as to the ‘less fortunate’, except those who were being reached in far-off lands by missionary efforts.  

Who are ‘the poor’?  Widows, orphans, those “without”—‘And what is meant by ‘the needy, and ‘the afflicted’?  On Saturday, my Amy graduated from Pepperdine University with her masters in psychology; (I am so happy for her!) the keynote speaker was a woman who had triumphed over her personal nightmare of schizophrenia and severe psychosis, and is now an accomplished, educated, professional expert.  I found her story riveting.  Now, I ask you—would you consider her ‘the afflicted’? 

I believe that I have often wanted to understand the character of God, and strive in my everyday living to become more like him in my own character.  Once again, I have missed something.  While I have valued kindness, compassion and mercy, I admit that I have not thought very long about how my God feels about the poor—indeed, about the downtrodden, about the afflicted.    I have not understood that I should seek to embody a similar empathy that would move me to action.  Oh, my thoughts are indeed heavy today.

“If you want to think new thoughts, then read new things, meet new people, and go new places. Learning about something new forces your mind out of its natural tendencies.  Meeting new people challenges your subconscious biases.  And going new places makes your mind observe what you typically ignore.”4   The author is right!  Since my involvement with the street people in Long Beach, I do not paint the ‘homeless’ with a broad brush.  I am beginning to learn the stories of individual, hurting lives, most who suffer from some kind of mental illness. My ignorance is being rubbed off, and my fires of compassion stoked. 

Who are ‘the poor, the needy, the afflicted’?  Answer for yourself, won’t you? What should be your response to any of these?  Perhaps you should ask your Father.  I am.

Christine